Would-be Jefferson sheriff's candidate drops lawsuit

BATON ROUGE-- A Jefferson Parish man who expressed an interest in running for parish sheriff in next week's election, even as he commuted to Georgia to work, ended his pursuit of that office Friday when his lawyer dropped a challenge to a state law that he claimed made it hard for him to run.

Former state Sen. Ron Landry, the Metairie attorney for George Poplus, said his client "didn't want to proceed" with the case.

Landry asked the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge late Thursday to dismiss his client's appeal of a ruling from 19th Judicial District Court Judge Wilson Fields. Fields ruled last week that Poplus lacked proper legal standing to challenge a law which allows a candidate to qualify for office by gathering 400 signatures on a petition.

Landry filed suit claiming that the law allowing candidates to qualify for office by petition placed Poplus at a disadvantage after the death of Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee Oct. 1.

Lee died after the September qualifying period ended and before the Oct. 20 primary, requiring state officials to reopen qualifying and reset the primary for sheriff for Nov. 17.

Landry claimed the three-day period did not give Poplus time to circulate a petition. State law requires any candidate who qualifies by petition to have the documents signed at least 120 days prior to the opening of candidate qualifying.

The four candidates still in the race are Melvin "Teddy" Burns of Marrero, who is not affiliated with a political party; Harvey contractor Julio Castillo, a Republican; Harahan Police Chief Peter Dale, a Republican; and acting Sheriff Newell Normand, a Metairie Republican, who was Lee's chief deputy.